Bible Strands
2 Kings 15:23
In the fiftieth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel and reigned in Samaria two years.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Pekahiah son of Menahem assumes the throne of Israel in Samaria during the fiftieth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah. This chronological marker places a northern dynasty transition within the broader timeline of the southern kingdom.
The words — The Hebrew מָ֠לַךְ (Ma.lakh) denotes "he became king," while חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים (cha.mi.Shim) specifies "fifty." These terms anchor the regnal succession to a precise chronological count.
The thread — This dating formula mirrors the structure in 1 Kings 15:25, 1 Kings 16:8, and 1 Kings 22:51, where northern monarchs' accessions are synchronized with Judah’s royal years. The pattern establishes a unified historical framework across the divided monarchy.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to track political transitions against a fixed chronological grid rather than isolated regnal lists. It demands attention to how northern leadership changes are measured against Judah’s timeline.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.
Cross-references
- 1 Kings 15:25 In the second year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigned two years.
- 1 Kings 16:8 In the twenty-sixth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years.
- 1 Kings 22:51 In the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat’s reign over Judah, Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria two years.
- 2 Kings 21:19 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah.
- Job 20:5 the triumph of the wicked has been brief and the joy of the godless momentary?